272 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



of Mr. Canning to adhere firmly 

 to tlie minister, and which had 

 already produced not a lirtle 

 laughter, observed how strouc^ly 

 Montesquieu, in his Spirit of Laws, 

 had recommended it to the English 

 nation, to consider the Habeas Cor- 



fjus act as the palladium of their 

 iberty. Nothing therefore could 

 justify its suspension, but the ex- 

 treme^t necessity; but none existed 

 at present : no arms had been 

 taken up, nor correspondence car- 

 ried on with the enemy ; and no 

 legal proof could be adduced of a 

 conspiracy to subvert the govern- 

 ment. 



In answer to what had been 

 spoken concerning precedents, Mr. 

 I)undas observed, that an exact con- 

 currence of cireumstances precisely 

 similar, was, in the nature of things, 

 hardly possible. In matters of great 

 .'ihomcnt, it was sufiicieut that inci- 

 dents bore some resemblance to 

 authorize a similitude of conduct. 

 The Habeas Corpus act had been 

 >;Hspended nine times since the 

 Revolution, under circumstances of 

 danger to tiie state, witliout pro- 

 ducmg those evils tliat wei-e de- 

 scribed in such alarming colours. 

 No undue seventies had been ex- 

 ercised by government on those 

 occasions, and no individual ever 

 had just reason to complain vi be- 

 ing ill-treated in .consequence^ of 

 that suspension. The low condi- 

 tion in life of the members and 

 friends oi the societies in question, 

 was pleaded as a mo<ive for viev/- 

 jng them rather with contempt 

 than terror ; but from individuals 

 of this description much was cer- 

 ' tainly to be apprehended : having 

 little or nothing to lose by civil 

 disorders and confusions, and per- 

 haps, in their imaginations, a great 

 deal to expect, numbers, if not ti>e 



majority, might justly be prcsuired 

 to favour public disturbances. A 

 mere parliamentary rtform would 

 not answer llieir view?. In one of 

 their societies It had been expressly 

 stated, " That sonne things were ' 

 DOt to be submitted to, either with 

 or without the sanction of parlia- 

 ment." But though they did not 

 all effect such a style, he had not 

 the least doubt that a convention* 

 nitt cil the principle of establish- 

 ing universal suffrage and. annual 

 pailiaments, was totally inconsistent 

 with the existence of the monarchy 

 and parliament. 



Mr. Dundas was replied to by 

 Mr. Sheridan, who took particular 

 notice, that ever since the French 

 revolution, ministry had betrayed a 

 remarkable apprehension of a par^ 

 liamtntary reform. Granting that 

 discontents existed, did they pro\'C 

 a determination to rise in open re- 

 volt ? Did the report, so much in-' 

 sisted on, make it appear that the^ 

 arm? said to be in pos'-tsBion of those 

 societies, had not bc;n provided by 

 individuals to guard against the 

 fury of a church and king mob ? 



Mr. Wyndham observed, that it 

 could not be reasonably denied 

 that sufficient proofs had been ad- 

 duced of a ccmspiracy to overthrov.' 

 the constitution. The principle of 

 universal suffrage was alone a 

 source of the most lamentable 

 evils, as France could amply tes- 

 tify. The mild conduct of govern^ 

 ment having failed of putting a 

 stop to the licentious proceedings 

 of ill-mentiontd individuals, it was 

 time to employ severe methods ; and 

 if those did not produce theend pro- 

 posed, stronger and severer mea- 

 sures still must beadopted. The evils 

 threatened must be obviated at all 

 events ; and if the laws in being 

 were inadequate to that purpose, 



others 



